Lessons About Making Coffee
There's nothing like a good process map. Our PorchLight Insights team has trained teams on many Lean/Six Sigma tools for continuous improvement, but the classic process map stands out as a key tool and visualization. Julie even used a process map in her own kitchen to identify and streamline inefficiencies in her morning coffee making process; turns out, there were lots of wasted steps and movements across the small kitchen!
Seeing the steps all laid out made it easy for Julie to identify areas for improvement. Moving the coffee, coffee maker, and filters closer together and near an outlet made a huge difference. Actually using the full functionality of the coffee pot by prepping it the night before and setting the coffee timer vastly improved Julie's morning routine. And understanding the underlying process helped her understand what she actually needed in a future coffee appliance.
With that little win in mind, we decided to use "coffee making" as one of our process map training exercises. Surely, we thought, this is a universally understood process. Since at-home coffee making might differ based on appliances and individual preference, we focused the exercise on making coffee at the office. This is a standard process, right? Turns out, NO.
We kid you not - based on many times running this exercise, no two teams describe making coffee the same way. Sometimes the coffee maker is the difference - pods vs. ground, industrial vs. twelve cup. Other times it is the preferred strength of the coffee - weak vs. "could stand on its own two feet" strong. But the insights from the coffee making map sometimes stretch beyond coffee strength.
On one occasion, the coffee map revealed some significant underlying team dynamics, including: frustration over when people arrived at the office, perceptions about who was most respected by other teammates, and even issues of cleanliness! A process map… about making coffee… during a training… opened up conversations that needed to happen but might not have emerged without the aid of a collectively-produced visual.
If you have a process that takes too long or feels frustrating in your workplace, consider a process map. You can create a quick map on paper using sticky notes to show each step and decision-point, or leverage one of the many digital tools available. If you need support, PorchLight Insights can help. And keep in mind that your map might help uncover a lot more than process issues; the tool might teach you a lot about your team.